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Categories: Ecology: Research, Environmental: Water
Published Study reveals human destruction of global floodplains



A hydrologist's study provides a global estimate of human destruction of natural floodplains. The study can help guide future development in a way that can restore and conserve vital floodplain habitats that are critical to wildlife, water quality and reducing flood risk for people.
Published Beaver activity in the Arctic increases emission of methane greenhouse gas



The climate-driven advance of beavers into the Arctic tundra is causing the release of more methane -- a greenhouse gas -- into the atmosphere. Beavers, as everyone knows, like to make dams. Those dams cause flooding, which inundates vegetation and turns Arctic streams and creeks into a series of ponds. Those beaver ponds and surrounding inundated vegetation can be devoid of oxygen and rich with organic sediment, which releases methane as the material decays.
Published Invasive alien species play key role in 60% of global plant and animal extinctions


A new report presents major findings on the gravity of impacts from invasive alien species on our planet.
Published New bio-based glues form adhesive bonds that grow stronger in water


Patent-pending adhesive formulations developed from fully sustainable, bio-based components establish bonds that grow stronger when underwater or exposed to wet conditions.
Published Lack of evidence hampers progress on corporate-led ecosystem restoration


An international team of scientists analysed publicly available sustainability reports released by 100 of the world's largest companies and found that around two-thirds of these global corporations are undertaking ecosystem restoration. However, the results highlight that despite many businesses claiming to actively rebuild damaged ecosystems, we know very little about what is actually being achieved.
Published Revolutionizing lithium production on a string


Researchers have developed a new approach that slashes the land and time needed to extract lithium from brine, which could dramatically expand access to the critical mineral.
Published Bursting air bubbles may play a key role in how glacier ice melts



New research has uncovered a possible clue as to why glaciers that terminate at the sea are retreating at unprecedented rates: the bursting of tiny, pressurized bubbles in underwater ice.
Published Capturing carbon in savannas: New research examines role of grasses for controlling climate change


New research shows that, in addition to trees, humble grasses also play an essential role in capturing carbon.
Published Stability inspection for West Antarctica shows: marine ice sheet is not destabilized yet, but possibly on a path to tipping



Antarctica's vast ice masses seem far away, yet they store enough water to raise global sea levels by several meters. A team of experts has now provided the first systematic stability inspection of the ice sheet's current state. Their diagnosis: While they found no indication of irreversible, self-reinforcing retreat of the ice sheet in West Antarctica yet, global warming to date could already be enough to trigger the slow but certain loss of ice over the next hundreds to thousands of years.
Published New battery holds promise for green energy


A chemist envisions a future where every house is powered by renewable energy stored in batteries. He has created a new battery that could have profound implications for the large-scale energy storage needed by wind and solar farms.
Published Researchers develop highly efficient and stable photoelectrode for water splitting using organic semiconductors


A recent study has unveiled a significant breakthrough in photoelectrode development.
Published Rubber plumbing seals can leak additives into drinking water


As drinking water flows through pipes and into a glass, it runs against the rubber seals inside some plumbing devices. These parts contain additives that contribute to their flexibility and durability, but these potentially harmful compounds can leak into drinking water, according to a small-scale study. The authors report that the released compounds, which are typically linked to tire pollution, also transformed into other unwanted byproducts.
Published Water-quality risks linked more to social factors than money



When we determine which communities are more likely to get their water from contaminated supplies, median household income is not the best measure. That's according to a recent study that found social factors -- such as low population density, high housing vacancy, disability and race -- can have a stronger influence than median household income on whether a community's municipal water supply is more likely to have health-based water-quality violations.
Published Fossil spines reveal deep sea's past



Right at the bottom of the deep sea, the first very simple forms of life on earth probably emerged a long time ago. Today, the deep sea is known for its bizarre fauna. Intensive research is being conducted into how the number of species living on the sea floor have changed in the meantime. Some theories say that the ecosystems of the deep sea have emerged again and again after multiple mass extinctions and oceanic upheavals. Today's life in the deep sea would thus be comparatively young in the history of the Earth. But there is increasing evidence that parts of this world are much older than previously thought.
Published Balancing biodiversity, climate change, food for a trifecta


Scientists identify ways landowners in rural Brazil can find win-win situations with biodiversity and farming.
Published Invasive species are animals, too: Considering a humane approach


Invasive alien species are animals that may pose a threat to biodiversity, but it's time to deal with that threat in a more ethical way.
Published Large herbivores keep invasive plants at bay


Elephants, buffaloes and other heavy herbivores are effective against invasive plants. This is the conclusion of a new study that used Indian data, including data from the world's largest survey of wildlife based on camera traps. But smaller animals can do the same: you don't need elephants to get the same effect, the researchers point out.
Published Farms that create habitat key to food security and biodiversity


Diversified farming is an important complement to forest protections for reversing tropical biodiversity declines.
Published Flowering for naught: 120 years with nothing to show



Flowering for some plants is a yearly occurrence, for others, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event. A widespread species of bamboo in Japan, Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis, takes this one-time flowering event and pushes it to the extreme: they flower once every 120 years before dying to make way for the next generation. Researchers have realized there might be another issue at hand with this monocarpic species, which is the lack of germination of the seeds from a majority of the flowering specimens. Implications of a once dense field of bamboo, something that serves both as a food source and a source of material for crafts, turning to grassland for several years until the regeneration of bamboo begins to start somehow, can impact the ecology of the area in addition to the country's economy.
Published Coastal fisheries show surprising resilience to marine heat waves


New research found that marine heat waves -- prolonged periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures -- haven't had a lasting effect on the fish communities that feed most of the world. The finding is in stark contrast to the devastating effects seen on other marine ecosystems cataloged by scientists after similar periods of warming, including widespread coral bleaching and harmful algal blooms.